Bentley will stop production of its 12-cylinder engine next year as the brand shifts to selling electric cars.

it will cease production of its 12-cylinder petrol engine in April 2024, by which time more than 100,000 examples of the iconic W12 will have been handcrafted by Bentley at its Crewe factory.

"The time has come to retire this now-iconic powertrain as we take strides towards electrification," said Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark.

Bentley has used W12 engines since the brand's reinvention in 2003 by owners Volkswagen Group.

The engine gets its name because it has 12 cylinders arranged in a W formation rather than a V shape.

The first Bentley to use the engine was the 2003 Continental GT coupe and it still powers top-end versions of the GT, the Flying Spur sedan, and Bentayga SUV.

The 6-litre, twin-turbo powerplant was initially built by VW in Salzgitter, Germany, but it was moved to Bentley's factory in Crewe, England, in 2014. Initially there were 100 people working on the W12 engine, but now that number is down to 30.

The Crewe factory ​area used to create the W12 will be used to build V-8 and V-6 hybrid engines.